Key for brake-shoes.



Patented Dec. 9,1899.

C. G. EUSTIS.

KEY FOR BRAKE SHOES.

(Application filed my 6. 1899.)

(No Modql.)

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5226722 0 7 Ciarezzc Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE G. EUSTIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KEY FOR BRAKE-SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,676, dated December 899.

Application filed May 6, 1899. $erial No. 715,841. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE G. EUsTIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Keys for Brake-Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates particularly to that class of keys which are used in connection with brake-shoes on railway-cars, and has particular relation to a key constructed in such manner as to automatically lock and hold itself in position, all of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

The object of the invention is to provide a brake-shoe with a simple, economical, and efficient key by which the head and shoe may be locked together in operative condition; and the invention consists in the fea tures, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter describednndmlaiim In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shoe and head held in operative engagement by means of my improved key, and Fig. 2 a perspective view of a key constructed in accordance with my improvements.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that the brake beam, head, and shoe are subjected to a large number of shocks coming quickly and successively, so that the ordinary wedge-shaped key is not altogether sufficient and does not meet all the requirements, in that it is occasionally jarred out of position. My improvement, therefore, is intended primarily to remove this objection by providing a key which will automatically lock itself afterit is driven into position and hold the parts in operative engagement until extraneous force is applied to remove it from its engaging position, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

In using my improvements I use a brake shoe head A of the desired size, shape, and strength and which is provided with the usual lugs a and a on the front face thereof and at or near the center portion and with the lugs a at or near the ends thereof, all of which serve to form a stay for the shoe B, the outer face of which, I), is of substantially the curvature of the wheel.

Tohold the shoe in operative engagement with the head, I provide the key 0, which may be made of a forging or other material and of such width and thickness as to have a certain amount of spring in it, and which is provided with a head 0. This key is generally; when locked either from the side or front, substantially wedge shaped and is key backwardly and the lower part of the key forwardly, so that the latch-shaped por tion 0 catches underneath the lug of the head and locks the parts together. To unlock the key, the lower part of the key is pressed backwardly until its latch disengages with the lug, and the key may be removed by prying up wardly on the head or driving the lower part in the same direction with a hammer.

I clairn A key for brake-shoes provided with an offset on the front face thereof adapted to contact the inner face of the brake-shoe and spring the lower part forwardly, and a latch part on the lower part of the key adapted to engage with a lug on the head portion and lock the parts together, substantially as described.

CLARENCE G. EUSTIS.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, THOMAS B. MOGREGOR. 

